When employees feel insignificant, motivation suffers, the commitment is stagnant and well -being decreases. Today, the data show that about 30 percent of workers feel invisible at work, 27 percent feel ignored and almost half feel undervalued.
Feeling insignificant has a name. The psychologist calls him “anti -conscitation” and can be one of the most insidious forces of an organization.
That is why, as a leader, he must be aware of the five main experiences that lead to antisacitation: the feelings of being unheard of, unheard of, without values, forgotten or dispensable; and commit to several actions to mitigate them.
Invisible
Being seen is to be hypotheticalTo have our presence, our experiences and the reflux, flows and details of our lives recognized by others.
When others pay attention and remind us, liveliness and hidden nuances of our lives are known.
However, being invisible is to get lost. The feelings of not being seen often arise from involuntary, but insidious acts, of social ignorance: forgetting someone’s name or how to pronounce it, not to make visual contact, not ask for the unique perspective of a colleague, not recognizing the past experiences, not to seek about someone’s personal life, not someone who does not seek in a co -owner who knows that he is fighting or did not have those who lost them when they lost them.
There are several actions that you can take to make sure people feel views:
- Have a practice to remember and verify the work of people and personal details. A supervisor with whom I work has a notebook, and every week, writes the names of the team members and one thing Shey Hens to remember to register the following week. In the upper part of my agendas one by one, I write: “Don’t forget to ask about …”
- Ask better questions in regular interactions. Also, we stop at greetings: “How are you?” “How was your day?” or “I hope you are well.” Leaders who are great notifiers ask clear, open and exploratory questions such as: “What is your attention today?” “What is more significant for you today?” “What are you fighting with and how can I help?”
- Create time and space to see people. Hurry up and care cannot coexist. Optimize the connection moments at Betseen before or after a meeting or in the hall begins. Take the time to call people to register and use the formal time time not only to verify “what” people are doing, but also in as They are doing it.
Unheard
When someone’s voice is fired, careless or devalued, he feels goodbye, discounted and devalued.
There are several ways in which we feel unknown: discard someone’s ideas, not answer, not ask for their opinion, not to follow comments, tell someone they need more before others
To make sure people feel heard:
- Prioritize the construction of a psychological security climate, which is the belief that people can speak and share their ideas and comments without fear. A powerful practice is that their teams believe “social rules” for meetings and conversations such as “without interruption”, “without silencing” or “assuming good intentions.”
- Learn the ability to listen deeply. Give people attention without collection. Save devices. Feel curious about the meaning behind people’s words and name the feelings you are feeling (for example, “I feel you are frustrated, right?”). Seek to understand someone’s ideas and perspectives before I can evaluate them.
- Take measures based on what you have heard. Many times, we can help people feel heard for what we do outside interaction. Let the person know what he will do with what they have shared and do, even that simply means consulting them the following week.
Invalrable
Being valued is to be an important or beneficial consultant. People feel worthless when they feel unimportant and when they cannot see how they are useful or useful. While being invisible and unheard of are key causes of feeling without value, the behaviors of others can make people see how Add value.
Feeling perpetually not valuable leads to greater stress, a greater risk of exhaustion, low motivation and hood of the probability of leaving a job.
To ensure that people feel valued and can see how they add value:
- Know, name and nurture people’s unique gifts. Everyone contributes their strengths, purpose, perspective and wisdom to any job. Pointing out those gifts explicitly and providing opportunities to use them help people to see how value is added.
- Go beyond “thanks” and “good job” and show people the difference they make and exactly how they achieve it. Good leaders tell the people who matter. The great leaders show people exactly how they matter.
- Be a collector and a counterproductive of “importance stories”: real, tangible examples, how people and their work make a difference.
Forgotten
Feeling regularly that you are not seen, heard or valued can lead to feel forgotten. People feel forgotten when others do not remember their names, do not ask for their opinions, they are not gone, do not recognize their efforts or contributions to a team and do not express them to be lost when they are absent.
Some ways to ensure that people feel remembered:
- Start remembering small things as people’s names, how to pronounce their names or details about their lives.
- If people are absent or lose a meeting, tell them that you missed them and explain why. For example, bar notes and asking some who was there for their perspective can be a powerful way to remind anyone who noticed their absence.
- When programming meetings or conversations, ask: “Who are we lacking here?” Being intentional about inviting people to conversations and sharing with them that invites them because their unique knowledge and perspective add value can help people feel remembered.
Dispensable
In ongoing research, we have discovered that when people describe experiences or mats, they are more frequently talking about the responsibility, which are asked to act in a crisis, become a caregiver or trust someone. Feeling necessary is essential to feel that we import.
However, also often our organizations make people feel replaced or like disposable resources. Skills can be replaceable, but human beings and their unique perspectives, personalities and strengths are never replaceable. Do not be surprised when people who feel replaceable begin the allocation that way. If people see thematic issues as a resource, they will act like this.
To show everyone how they are necessary:
- Make sure people can see how they and their work are little necessary for a larger result, and remember them regularly.
- Use five words often when giving thanks: “If it weren’t for you …” “If it were for you, this would not be possible …”
When people feel irreplaceable, they act irreplaceable. They appear and commit.
That is Matting’s power.
Reprinted for permission or Harvard Business Review Press. Adapted and extracted from Matting’s power: how leaders can create a culture of importance By Zach Mercury. Copyright 2025 Zach Mercury. All rights reserved.